Xi Leaves for Cambodia, Bangladesh, BRICS Summit

Leaders of the BRICS nations -- (from L) Brazilian President Michel Temer, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and South African President Jacob Zuma on the sidelines of the G20 summit. (Picture courtesy: AP)

Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday morning left Beijing for state visits to Cambodia and Bangladesh, and also to attend the eighth BRICS summit in India, officials said.

Xi was invited by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid to pay state visits to the two countries, Xinhua news agency reported.

The President will then attend the BRICS -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- summit, to be held in Goa, at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Here, the leaders will exchange in-depth views on BRICS cooperation and other global and regional issues, according to Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong earlier this week.

Xi's entourage includes Wang Huning, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee; Li Zhanshu, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee; and State Councilor Yang Jiechi.